Why do dogs eat grass?

Most dog owners have seen their canine friend chew on grass at one time or another. It seems that no one knows exactly why dogs do it.  A few theories exist to explain this seemingly odd behavior, though no answer has been proven.

Some veterinarians believe that there is something that dogs are not getting from their commercial diets.  They may be in need of some additional roughage or vitamins that come from the “salad” that they find in the yard. Adding some extra veggies as well as adding extra fiber may also be a possible solution.

Wolves and other wild canids are known to regularly eat plant matter; suggesting dogs' grass-eating behavior is innate and normal. Indeed, a 2009 dog study in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior found that puppies were more likely to eat grass if their mothers did so while nursing.

One of the more common explanations for this behavior is that it helps dogs purge their systems. Dogs can suffer from gastrointestinal issues that make them feel ill. They graze on the grasses to make themselves vomit and ultimately feel better. If a dog is experiencing stomach problems, you may see it eating blades of grass.  The grass causes gastric irritation that leads to vomiting, which helps the dog feel better afterward.

The bottom line is that no one actually knows why dogs eat grass.  You might be able to gain some insight into nutritional deficits, or age-old wisdom on how awesome their instincts are. You will have to decide for yourself what the reason is behind your pet’s grazing.  However, here are some things to watch for.

Vomiting is not usually a normal situation. If your pet vomits on a rare occasion and seems to otherwise be himself, there is usually not cause for alarm.  If, however, your pet seems lethargic, is not eating, and is also vomiting, make an appointment to see your veterinarian right away.  Also, watch the grass your pet is grazing upon. Do not use fertilizers, de-icers, weed killers or other chemicals on your lawn, and make sure your grass is free of mushrooms as some types are toxic.  If your dog eats a large quantity of grass, he could potentially become ill from that.  If you are unsure if your dog’s grass eating behavior is normal, or if your dog seems ill from eating grass, please feel free to call us at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital for more information. 

586-751-3350

Doggie Aches and Pains - Beware of drug dangers

A friend of mine recently sent me a facebook message asking me if he could give his dog some Ibruprofen (Motrin), and if so how much.  He was on a vacation up north, away from his regular veterinary hospital, and thought that his middle- aged dog was feeling pain from over-exercise.  It is unfortunately common for people to make an assumption that a safe medication for people will also be safe for their pets.  In this instance my friend had the good sense to ask a veterinary professional before using Ibruprofen for his dog so I was able to give him the facts about these medications before he was able cause any harm to his pet.

As our pets advance in age, they will often develop the same problems with aches and pains that their human companions do.  Osteoarthritis can form in hips, knees, elbows and backs just as it does in people and can develop as a result of injury, hip dysplasia and often times just the normal aging process.  The pain associated with arthritis can leave dogs achy resulting in difficulty standing, often in the rear legs after sleeping and stiff joints after exercise.  The pain that they feel might not always be obvious but may show up in subtle ways such as inability to climb stairs, giving up on walks and games, and irritability.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including Ibruprofen (Motrin) and Acetominophen (Tylenol), are a class of drugs that are commonly used in people and animals for the relief of pain and inflammation associated with arthritis, headaches, muscle aches and for the relief of mild fevers.  Ibruporfen has been shown to cause kidney and liver disease in some dogs and is deadly in some cases.  Acetominophen (Tylenol) can also cause illness in dogs and is deadly at even small doses in cats. When pets ingest small overdoses of an NSAID, it may result in stomach ulcers, causing signs of vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, anemia, abdominal pain, and lethargy. With larger ingestions, kidney failure, liver failure and neurological problems (e.g., tremors or seizures) can develop.

There are safer NSAIDs that are used in our canine friends.  Dog-specific NSAIDs include common brands such as Rimadyl, Dermaxx, Previcox and Metacam. There are no NSAIDs designed for longterm use in cats and this class of drug is used sparingly in cats because it is poorly tolerated.

Pet owners should never give any medication to their dog or cat without consultation with their veterinarian.

If you think your dog or cat were poisoned by ibuprofen, or any other human medication, call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline immediately for life-saving treatment advice. The sooner the poisoning is diagnosed, the sooner it can be addressed to save your special pet.

Will work for food.

Have you ever heard of setting up “foraging” activities for your pet bird?  If not, perhaps you should.  Each week I see at least one pet parrot that has terrible problems with feather picking, feather chewing, skin mutilation, screaming, biting, or inappropriate bonding.  It is thought by many researchers, that the reason birds participate in these self-destructive behaviors is that they don’t have enough to do with their time and do not have natural food seeking opportunities incorporated into their daily routines.

 In the wild, birds generally spend their time divided between resting, grooming, foraging, and social interactions with flock members.  Most wild birds spend between 6 and 15 hours per day foraging for food.  Our pet birds have food provided in easily accessible food bowls sometimes 24 hours a day.  This type of feeding requires no creativity, activity or thought and rarely requires more than 30 minutes to consume a meal.

Increasing the available foraging activities will enhance your bird’s life and may prevent abnormal behaviors.  If these abnormal behaviors are already present in your bird, providing foraging activities may help decrease the frequency these problems.

Foraging toys are toys that require some physical activity to aquire food.  There are avian pet stores and websites that sell commercial foraging toys made from various materials.  It is important to choose toys that are an appropriate size and skill level for your bird. The best way is to start small and uncomplicated and then work your way up to more complicated toys.  In addition to commercial foraging toys, inexpensive toys can be created at home using natural products such as untreated wood, paper, or  PVC pipes.  Simple foraging toys may include, food inside a crumpled paper cup, paper bag, or piece of paper towel.  Food toys can be created by placing food inside untreated wood or cardboard containers with covers that can be removed or with holes drilled in the side that allows extraction of small food items.  A foraging cup or shallow pan can be filled with untreated wooden beads or shredded paper. This can be used to hide nuts or seeds, requiring the bird to dig through the inedible objects to find the food items.

There is also a good DVD called “Captive Foraging: The Next Best Thing to Being Free.”  It is available at our hospital and online through the Zoological Education Network (www.exoticdvm.com).   Think of any natural way that food is hidden in the wild environment, and try to set up a similar situation in your bird’s cage using nontoxic items that you have around the house.   

Keeping your pet bird occupied with foraging activities will make him (or her) a much happier and healthier individual. 

Itchy, Scratchy and Sneezy - Don't shoot the vet over your allergic pet.

It is finally springtime again in Michigan!  The temperature is hitting over 60 degrees each day and the sun is actually shining more often. The improving weather is sometimes "bad news" for our vets and pets.  Along with spring and summer temperatures comes allergies.   Dogs and cats develop allergies to many things in the environment, just as people do.  They exhibit symptoms such as itching, scratching, rubbing, rolling and chewing.   We see ear infections, eye infections, skin infections and hair loss, all associated with allergies.

 Allergies are as common in dogs and cats as they are in their human counterparts.  On our daily schedule we may see  2 or 3 allergy cases, and sometimes more.  We learn to dread these appointments because we know that there is not a simple solution to the pet owner's problem.  Because there is not a simple answer, we must deal with frustrated and confused pet owners.  In many cases this problem is going to be a longtime, possibly lifetime issue, and there is no magic bullet cure.  

The best way to treat allergies in our pets is to diagnose exactly what that particular pet is allergic to.  We can do this through food trials, blood testing for inhalant allergies and/or skin testing. These test are often time consuming and can be expensive.   They will take time and effort investments on the part of the pet owner.   Veterinarians may treat these pets with antihistamines, antibiotics, and immune suppressant drugs, as well as allergen injections customized for the specific patient.  The allergies are often controlled but very rarely cured.  

If you suspect that your pet may have an allergy, there are several things that you can do to assist your veterinarian with their diagnosis and treatment.

• Be sure that your pet is treated monthly with flea preventative (i.e. Frontline or Certifect) so flea allergies can be eliminated from the equation.  
• Keep a list of your pet's habits and symptoms, and when they occur.  This may help your veterinarian compile an accurate history for your pet.  
• Be patient with your veterinarian so he/she can make the proper recommendations and remember to follow up on your veterinary visits, so you can stay ahead of your dog or cat's symptoms. 

 Remember that it will take an investment of your time and energy (and maybe your checkbook) to get your pet's allergies under control.

Try to enjoy the spring and summer with your pet, and please don't shoot the vet!

Missing Socks??

Have you ever wondered where the socks go when you are doing laundry?  I often do.  Almost every time I do a load of laundry I am left with at least one or two socks that don't end up with a match.  Often those missing socks never show up.  Where do they go??

We found one of those missing socks at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital on Monday......

Monday afternoon we found a sock in the small intestine of a sweet tempered, well mannered, beautiful family dog.  She had been know to eat socks in the past and usually would vomit them up before they caused any serious problem, however the sock eating caught up with her last weekend.  Her owners knew that she had eaten at least one sock when she started to act sick and stopped eating.  Her abdomen was tense and painful and she could not keep down her water or food.  She presented to one of our doctors Monday morning, after a brief stay in an overnight emergency center where they confirmed that she had something trapped in the middle of her small intestine. She was quickly admitted for supportive care and was prepped for the surgery by our team of licensed veterinary technicians and our wonderful doctor.  She was given an IV with fluids and antibiotics, pain medication and anesthesia so the doctor could surgically correct her problem.  The doctor made an incision in her abdomen to identify the cause of her distress, the foreign object - a full sized (escaped from the laundry) sock.  The intestine was opened so the sock could be removed and was carefully repaired. The sock had cause the intestine to become stressed, swollen and bruised so closing it had to be done carefully in order for it to heal properly after surgery.  In this dog's case our veterinarian got to the sock in time and she should recover fully.

When there is a sock in a dog's small intestine it is very painful and causes damage to the lining and circulation of the portion of bowel that it is trapped within.  The body works hard to try to pass the object so the intestine gets very stressed and can become compromised. If  the blockage to the intestine is not corrected in a short amount of time, a portion of intestine can actually become necrotic and die which in turn can cause the patient to get septic.  It then becomes life threatening.

Animals will eat a variety of things that they should not eat.  For example, I have removed many things from pets including rocks, ear plugs, Nerf darts, towels, coins, toys, rubber balls, string and yarn.  I have seen radiographs of dogs that have eaten spoons, knives, nails, paperclips, jewelry and a variety of clothing items including shoes.

What can we learn from this dog's story?  
1. Pick up things around your house that your pets might find fascinating and perhaps tasty.
2. Monitor your pets to be sure they don't swallow something that they shouldn't and if they do, call your veterinarian immediately for advice.
3. If your pet is vomiting or acting ill and refusing to eat, it could be a sign that they have an intestinal blockage so seek medical attention.

Please pay attention to your pet's behavior and seek veterinary advice if you suspect illness in your family pet.... and try to keep your socks from escaping the laundry.

Shark Attack!

Just when I think that I have seen and heard everything that there is to see and hear while doing my job, I get a pleasant surprise that reminds me why I love what I do.

 I never thought that I would get to see a patient in my office that was attacked by a shark.  We live in Michigan (no ocean) and I work in a small animal (pet) hospital.  So how did I end up treating a seal for a shark attack???

Very simple... It was a stuffed toy seal attacked by an imaginary shark:  Here is how it happened.

 One of my last appointments of the day was to see a young bearded dragon for her annual examination.   It happens that this particular "beardie" is owned by a school teacher and is being kept as a class pet.  The bearded dragon (Let's call her "Sassy") was doing well and just needed to be examined and checked for parasites.  The teacher just happened to be a grandmother and she had brought her young grandson with her to the appointment.  The little boy was a quiet, serious, sweet faced kid, with short, buzz cut hair and ears that stuck out slightly from his round little head.  He sat quietly next to his grandmother and aunt (who was also along for the ride) and observed the goings on in the examination room with only an occasional comment about "Sassy".  He remained patiently waiting until I had finished looking at "Sassy" and checking her over completely.  As we were finishing up talking about the  dragon the little boy spoke up in a quiet voice and said, “Will you look at my seal?”  He was holding in his right hand a small white stuffed seal – a beanie baby, I think.  I said, “Sure, what is wrong with the seal?”  “It was bitten by a shark.” he said.   “A shark?”  I said with surprise and then caught myself looking at the little stuffed animal just to be sure it didn’t have blood or guts spilling out of it’s little soft body. “When did this happen?”  I said.  He looked at me very calmly and matter of fact and said, “ Five years ago.”  Well, that answer  almost had me laughing out loud, but instead I said, “Oh, Wow! That must have been some bite if he is still having problems after five years.  Do you think it might help if I bandaged the wound?” Not really knowing how to respond.   The little guy was watching me intently as I was holding on to his little pet and examining the five year old, non-existent wound.  He nodded his head and said, “Yes, I think that would help.”  So I proceeded to apply a green vet wrap tape bandage (his favorite color is green)  around the little seal's abdominal area and returned it to the loving hands of the serious little boy.  "I think he will be fine now." I said. 

My job is truly fascinating and very entertaining when I get to do something like that.  All in a days work.....

Career Fair Fun

Where can you see a veterinarian, a chiropractor, a tax accountant, a fireman and a United States Marine all in the same room?  At the Utica Schools Career Expo!

Tomorrow night (March 21) I will be packing up a few of my veterinary technician friends and a box of pamphlets, photos and some worms in jars, to head off to the annual career fair.  Once there, we will set up our table and try to look as interesting as we possibly can, so crowds of children and their parents will stop by to ask us questions.  We will even have a basket of candy to attract those who may just stop by for the sweets.   We want as many people as possible to talk to us because, who wants to have the job that no one cares about?  We all want to have a popular career right?

Thankfully for us, many people love animals and will stop by our booth just to talk about their pets. That gives us an advantage over our non-animal career friends.  We also have a few little pets of our own to attract the younger kids. We talk about how much fun it is to visit with cute puppies and kitties each day and how we love returning ill pets to their families feeling healthier than they were when we met them.  We really get to save lives and enjoy what we do every day.

We usually have them convinced that our career is the BEST until they ask the magic question. "How many years do you have to go to college?"  When I say "eight years"  I lose a lot of them.  Their eyes glaze over thinking of the years of studying, and their parents drag them away shaking their heads with thoughts of the impending debt.  If I can convince a few brave souls that my career is worth the mental and financial sacrifice, I may just get some new colleagues out of it.  At any rate, the career fair is loads of fun.  Educating the public about the variety of things that we do each day and showing off the complexity of our profession is both an honor and a privilege.

If you are in the neighborhood tomorrow night, stop by to see us. We would love to see you and your family, and answer all of your veterinary questions.  The career fair is at Eisenhower High School.

Hope to see you there!

Dr. Cappel and the team at Warren Woods Veterinary Hospital.